Amid protests and disquiet about the state of South Africa, an unprecedented number of people met together to pray for the nation on 22 April.
Bloemfontein, capital of the Free State, saw a reported half a million people arrive for the event. People were parking up to 10km away and walking from there to the farm where the rally was held. Events such as these in the past have often only attracted white Afrikaner men, due mostly to the organisers having links to the apartheid past. But this event saw more black people and whole families attending.
Whirlwind
There were reports of healings: a woman’s personal account given to en talked of an angel healing a boy standing next to her friend. Although sceptical in that the ‘supernatural’ whirlwind reported at the climax of the event was just a commonly-seen whirlwind in the area, the people were numerous and left the venue spotless after the masses vacated the site – undoubtedly something profound did take place there.
Many in the nation are concerned about the direction of SA. Cannabis was recently ruled legal for use at home; abortion and porn are rife; same-sex marriage is now legal and there are plans to remove the Bible from teaching in schools; politically, Zuma is seen on a par with Mugabe in neighbouring Zimbabwe; the Guptas, a family from overseas, have so many fingers in so many pies that they make complaints about the influence of Rupert Murdoch seem comparatively minor.
People there were focussed on God, not on the charismatic leader. There was a solid call to repentance from sin. The ‘Amens’ of the crowd rolled on for many seconds as prayer went up for the nation. Prayers continue for repentance, revival and reformation.
